Wingspan
by Wordwielder
Summary: Toothless' wings have other uses besides flying. Oneshot!


**I'm baaack! It's been a while since I wrote new oneshot. This evolved from glancing over my oneshot idea sheet and it just all came together. Enjoy! XD**

Toothless' wingspan measures nearly as long as his body, tailfin included. It's highly useful in flight; Toothless can fly the longest, fastest, and highest of any known dragon breed, and Hiccup admits the vertical takeoff is a little disorienting but the skill serves them well too. Of course, outside of flights and fights, it's handy in other ways. Such as…

**#1: How to Win at Hide-And- Seek**

Toothless watches Hiccup like a mother dragon watches her eggs: relentlessly. Except when he's napping and/or can trust another member of the tribe to look after him. In this case, Astrid and Hiccup are frisking about and he trusts nothing cataclysmic can occur in a five minute catnap period. He keeps his eyes closed and his ears perked. He heard them plan their afternoon: hide-and-seek. For teenagers, the Vikings really get into this game they've been playing since they could toddle around. Hiccup is going to fall someplace… Toothless cracks his eyes. "I was seeker last time," Hiccup argues.

"Fine, I'll seek," Astrid replies. "See you in about two minutes, small fry."

It's in Astrid's nature to confident.

Hiccup has a superior knowledge of hiding places, but he tends to fall and attract attention to his spot. And, before Hiccup talked him out of it, Toothless would get up and plant himself firmly in front of Hiccup's place where he could keep the best eye on him. Astrid figured it out. It threw her off the first couple of times when Toothless stayed put where he was.

"Count to a hundred," Hiccup calls. He's got a mischievous, brilliant-idea sort of look in his eyes. He dashes to Toothless. "Bud," he whispers over Astrid's counting. "Wrap me in your wings." Toothless chortles. It's perfect. She'll never think to look there. He raises his wings and positions Hiccup's small frame against his ribs. He cocks his head at Hiccup. "Good," the boy whispers, and he drapes his wings over him like a blanket. Hiccup giggles against his side. Toothless smiles and closes his eyes again—the picture of innocence.

Astrid spends a good twenty minutes looking in every place she can think of before she calls out, exasperated, "Okay, I give up, you win. Come on out."

"Turn around," Hiccup instructs. He's been watching her through the thin membrane of a wing and trying not to laugh and reveal his location.

"Oh, come on," she complains.

"I don't want you to see where I'm at."

"FINE!"

Toothless lets him wriggle out. Hiccup slides over a few feet and says, "Okay. You're good."

She whips around. "Where _were_ you?"

Hiccup winks at Toothless. "Can't tell you. I want to hide there again."

**#2: How to Take a Quality Nap**

It's a lazy, yawning afternoon. They're stretched out next to Toothless' lake. No matter what, Hiccup thinks of everything in that cove as Toothless'. That became their place a long time ago, and he doesn't take anyone else there. The sun is warm on Toothless' skin as well as his pale Viking's. They're both half asleep. When Toothless sees Hiccup's face relax towards pleasant dreams, he takes the little body and pulls the boy against him. Hiccup opens his eyes and smiles at the fuzzy reptile above. He reaches a limp hand up and scratches his dragon's throat. Toothless folds his wings over Hiccup, settling him into comforting, warm, sleep-inducing darkness. Toothless closes his eyes and they sleep, their breathing in almost perfect tandem. This is true, quality napping.

**#3: How to Stay Dry in a Downpour**

They're trekking through the dense forest in search of some plants and berries and barks as a favor to the Elder/ Hiccup's grandmother, and there's really no politely refusing your grammy OR your healer/ spiritual leader. You never know. You could fall ill or need a favor really soon, or she might make tarts with the berries. Toothless doesn't mind tarts himself, and Hiccup has an established sweet tooth (Toothless has checked for the one sweet tooth as best he could, but Hiccup doesn't appreciate Toothless so close to his face, and no one tooth smells sweeter than the others as far as he can determine). Hiccup's collection basket swings on his arm almost jovially. Hiccup is in a good mood, humming like Toothless likes, and Toothless is pretty cheerful too, then.

Then it starts to rain; no, the ones of the gods must be throwing a fit, because it's a real downpour. Hiccup sprints for cover and Toothless lumbers after him. They jostle under a tree, but the fat, thick raindrops penetrate through the branches. Toothless is really fine, because his scales are largely waterproof. Hiccup is already half-soaked. Toothless maneuvers around the tree's trunk and slopes his wings over Hiccup's body, like an umbrella. The water runs down the black wing and drips to the ground. Hiccup shivers and strokes Toothless' side. "Thank you, bud. I don't need pneumonia…again."

Toothless warbles his agreement.

**#4: How to Effectively Postpone Your Viking's Social Life**

Hiccup occasionally hugs Toothless. Toothless was bewildered at first, but over time grew to like the contact, ducking his head over his boy's shoulder. He's determined to hug him back, and when Hiccup calls him, saying, "I'm going to hang out with the gang, do you want to come?" he's ready. He crouches and raises his wings. He wraps one, then the other, around Hiccup, and pulls him forward. Hiccup grins at his dragon in pride, and returns the hug. "You're clever, Toothless," he tells his dragon. "Shouldn't surprise me, I guess… you did the same sort of thing when you drew that picture, remember?" Toothless flops his tail in happiness. Hiccup loosens his arms and waits for Toothless to reciprocate…fruitlessly. "Bud? Can you let go?"

Toothless realizes he has Hiccup, literally, in his clutches. He can be mischievous too. Hiccup recognizes the glint in his eyes. "Oh, Toothless," he groans. "I have plans with everyone! They're going to kill me for being late….and what's worse, they're so not going to believe_ this _excuse."

Toothless happily barks out a shot of flame.


End file.
